salt and shampoo
by silent-entrance
Summary: Sora and Riku and the five times it took them to get it right.


1.

Sometimes, when everyone is lying around the beach like the lazy seventeen year olds they are, Sora will laugh at something stupid and rest his head on Riku's thigh, and Riku will fall the tiniest little bit in love with him.

Sometimes, with his hair wet and his skin gritty, Sora will collapse onto the sand far too close to his best friend to be 'best friends,' but everyone thinks they've been dating since they were fourteen anyway, so. He's not trying to be super weird, or anything, he just wants to see if Riku's breathing stutters slightly when they're unnecessarily close together too.

(It does.)

2.

Sora worries about Kairi, sometimes. Because it's eleven o'clock on a Monday night and she's lying with her head in his lap as she cries about some boy who it _didn't work out with _and he's a bit lost and confused and overwhelmed because he didn't even realise she was seeing anyone.

He doesn't know if this means that she's been vague or he's been distant or what, but he sort of feels like the worst best friend, like, _ever, _when she sniffs about how he and Riku are so wrapped up in 'each other' that they forget about her.

"That's not true, Kai," he murmurs, running his fingers through her hair, and he wishes he didn't feel guilty because he doesn't even know if he's lying or not.

"Yes it is," she whispers against his leg. "With you two dating, or whatever-"

"We're not dating," Sora exclaims, with such finality that it kind of breaks Riku's heart, as he sits outside the bedroom door, playing with the mobile phone in his hand which still reads **something's up with Kai, come over. Rox.**

He gets up and leaves before Sora sighs, before Sora sighs and closes his eyes and says 'I kind of wish we were, though." He doesn't hear Kairi's hum of sympathy, doesn't hear the noises which are only okay between best friends at eleven o'clock on a Monday night.

He doesn't speak to either of them for a week, and won't tell them why. Sora says he's being _stupid._

(He kind of agrees, but he just doesn't like losing.)

3.

Riku tells Sora about how his dad packed up the car real early last week and he doesn't think he's coming back. Not because he asked: Sora would never ask something so personal, never want to risk hurting his best friend. But Riku kind of wants to make sure that there's at least one person who'll stick around, because he feels kind of lonely and wants to fix that.

"Ri," Sora sighs, shifting a bit closer to him on the bed and slipping a hand into his best friends, twisting their fingers together and resting his head on his shoulder.

That small, spiky, salt-and-shampoo smelling weight sort of makes Riku want to cry, but he doesn't, because Sora would have tried to stop him from being sad and he'd think he was weird if he found out he was crying because he was happy.

And if they happen to wake up the next morning, wrapped around each other like if they let go they would drown, well:

What secrets are passed on a bed between friends, stays on a bed between friends.

(It was the best nights sleep Sora has had in weeks. Not that he bothers thinking about that for too long.)

4.

Riku stays over for breakfast that morning. Roxas is insisting that Sora is adopted, fork waving wildly as he laughs, when he feels them wrap around his fingers: softer than they should be for the amount of time spent in the ocean, slightly sweaty and small enough that they fit into his own quite well, thank you very much.

Sora holds his hand under the table for the rest of the meal, and when all the plates are cleared, it's released after a quick brushing of thumbs over knuckles and a hidden smile that wasn't meant to be seen.

They don't say anything about it.

(Sometimes, it doesn't have to be a big deal. Happiness is a simple equation, when one thinks about it.)

5.

They're not sure who kisses who first: just that they were battling over Mario Kart when suddenly the controls were dropped and there were lips on lips, hands on hips and in hair and running down backs.

Sora breaks the kiss, panting. "We don't have to be anything, you know? We could just _be_."

Riku shakes his head, because he's been waiting for this too long to do it half-arsed. "Nah," he gasps, trying not to get distracted by his best friends lips on his neck. "I love you."

Sora hums, smiling against his throat. Riku can feel it. "Love you too."

(And Sora can hear Riku's breath stuttering slightly.)


End file.
